1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a label printer which issues various labels, and more particularly, to a label printer for sequentially issuing labels having partly different contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many retail shops uses printed labels containing information pertaining to articles, such as, name of article and price, for affixing on articles such as foodstuffs and other daily sundries. Such information is printed on a label in characters, a bar code and the like.
A conventional label printer is provided with a frame memory to store a printing pattern for a label to be printed. Such a label printer allocates in the frame memory a print buffer having a storage capacity corresponding to a designated size of the label, converts print data for one label into character and bar code patterns by using a pattern generator, and store these patterns in the print buffer according to the printing format. After all character and bar code patterns have been set in the print buffer, a label is printed in accordance with a printing pattern constituted by the above patterns.
According to the label printer, a single print buffer is allocated in the frame memory. Therefore, while a label is printed by using the printing pattern stored in the print buffer, it has not been possible to produce another printing pattern necessary for printing the next label. Also, much time has been needed in converting the print data for one label to character or bar code patterns. Accordingly, the start of printing the next label is delayed in proportion to the period of time required for producing the printing pattern thereof.